Meghan Markle Says She Is Deeply Distressed by Allegations Against Father
Meghan Markle says she is deeply distressed by allegations against her father, with whom she has been estranged since 2018.
Event / Security
Thomas Markle Investigation
On 22 October 2026, The Sun reported that Thomas Markle, father of Meghan Markle, is under investigation for possessing child sexual abuse material found at his home in Cebu, Philippines. His son, Thomas Markle Jr., says he found the material and reported it to the FBI on 10 July 2026, and gave a sworn statement to Philippine police. Thomas Markle denies the allegations and is presumed innocent. On 23 October 2026, Meghan Markle issued a statement saying she was deeply upset, that she had received a 2018 letter raising concerns about her father, and that she had limited his contact with her children. No charges have been reported.
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2026-10-23 to 2026-10-24 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 23 Oct, 16:54 UTC
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What happened
A 2018 letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. was sent to the Metropolitan Police
In 2018, a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. was sent to the Metropolitan Police and the Royalty and Specialist Protection unit. The Duchess of Sussex was later given a copy of the letter and assured that the allegations were being investigated.
Allegations were reported to the FBI and Pennsylvania state police
The alleged material was reported to the FBI in the United States and to Pennsylvania state police. Thomas Markle Sr. was living in Pennsylvania while recovering from surgery at the time of the reports.
No arrest has been reported in connection with the allegations
No arrest of Thomas Markle Sr. has been reported in either the Philippines or the United States, where he resides, as of the most recent reporting.
Meghan Markle says she is deeply distressed by the allegations against her father
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, 45, issued a statement on Friday, October 23, 2026, saying she is deeply distressed by the allegations and that her thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.
Meghan Markle has been estranged from her father since May 2018
Meghan Markle has been estranged from her father, Thomas Markle Sr., since her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. He has never met her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and did not attend the wedding.
Allegations claim child sexual abuse material was found at Thomas Markle Sr.'s home in the Philippines
Allegations have been made that boxes at the Philippines home of Thomas Markle Sr., 82, contained child sexual abuse material. The allegations were made by his son, Thomas Markle Jr., 60, who said he found the material and reported it to authorities.
Thomas Markle Sr. denies the child sexual abuse material allegations
Thomas Markle Sr. publicly denied the allegations on October 23, 2026, calling them a fabrication and stating that he could never do what he is accused of.
Meghan Markle reconnected with her father in December 2025 during his hospitalization
Meghan Markle reconnected with her father in December 2025 when he was hospitalized in the Philippines.
Meghan Markle states she limited her father's contact with her children to protect them
Meghan Markle states that she distanced herself from her father before her 2018 wedding and did not allow him contact with her children, Archie and Lilibet, in order to protect them.
Thomas Markle Jr. reports his father to the FBI
Thomas Markle Jr. reported his father, Thomas Markle, to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation on 10 July 2026 over the alleged discovery of sexual images of minors.
Thomas Markle Jr. states he found hundreds or thousands of sexual images of minors at his father's home
Thomas Markle Jr., the half-brother of Meghan Markle, states he found hundreds or thousands of sexual images of minors stored in four large boxes among family memorabilia at his father's home in Cebu, Philippines. He also states he found negatives depicting nude schoolgirls and files on hard drives.
Meghan Markle says she is deeply upset by the allegations against her father
In a statement published on Friday 23 October 2026, Meghan Markle said she was deeply upset by the information revealed in the previous 24 hours and that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed.
Thomas Markle denies the allegations and calls them lies
In an interview with the Daily Mail from Florida, Thomas Markle denied the allegations, calling them a pack of lies and stating that he could never do what he is accused of.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry return to the United Kingdom after six years in the United States
At the end of August 2026, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the United Kingdom with their children Archie and Lilibet after six years in the United States. They settled in the Cotswolds region.
Meghan Markle states she received a 2018 letter with allegations about her father
Meghan Markle states that in 2018 a letter containing serious allegations about her father was sent to London police and to the royal protection service, and that she was told the allegations were under investigation.
Thomas Markle Jr. gives sworn statement to Philippine police
Thomas Markle Jr. gave a sworn statement to Philippine police about the alleged discovery of sexual images of minors at his father's home in Cebu. The exact date of the statement is not specified in the source material.
Thomas Markle had his left leg amputated and is in rehabilitation in Florida
Thomas Markle underwent an amputation of his left leg during a hospitalization in the Philippines in late 2025. He is currently in a care and rehabilitation centre in Florida, USA.
Allegations that Thomas Markle possesses child sexual abuse images are published
On 22 October 2026, The Sun published allegations that Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan Markle, is the subject of an investigation for possessing child sexual abuse images. Thomas Markle denies the allegations.
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2 alternative perspectives
No Arrest Reported as Allegations Against Thomas Markle Sr. Reach Authorities
Allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. have reached the FBI and Pennsylvania police; he denies them, and no arrest is reported.
Allegations Surface Against Thomas Markle, Who Denies Them
Thomas Markle Jr. has made allegations that his father possesses child sexual abuse images, which Thomas Markle denies.